Draw-bar



(No Model.) Q.

G. D. WADLEY. DRAW BAR. I

No. 492,853. PatentedMa r. 7, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT fission,

GEORGE DOLE WADLEY, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

DRAW-BAR.

SPEGIFIGATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 492,853, dated March 7, 1893. 1 Application filed November 25, 1892. Serial No. 453,090- (No model.)

cars from end to end; provision is made for adjusting and for maintaining adjustment of the parts; and safety is afforded against pulling out the draw heads and breaking connection between cars.

In the annexed drawingsz-Figure l is a bottom plan View of the sills or timbers of a car platform, with my in vention applied; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 00x of Fig. 1.

Prior to my invention draw-rods or bars of railway cars have more commonly beenmade to extend only a short distance back or inward from the ends of the car, though it has been proposed in some instances to extend said rodfrom one end of the car to the other, and thus to form a connection between the two draw heads.

My invention relates to the continuous draw rod construction, and is designed to obviate difficulties hitherto experienced in attempts to embody this idea in working form.

It is important to provide springs which shall serve to take up theshock or concussion, both of drawing and buffing; and it is essential to provide means whereby the parts may be kept in proper working relation and adjustment, as otherwise the springs fail to act properly; the draw-rods buckle, or their fastenings are sheared off, drop out, or permit dangerous play. It islikewise importantthat the part which constitutes the head or abutment against which the rod or bar draws, be a fixture, built rigidly and securely in the frame work of the car platform, as otherwise breakage is apt to result from the severe and sudden strains to which the parts are subjected. I attain these objects and obviate the difficulties hitherto encountered, by the construction shown in the drawings, wherein A Aindicate the inner or middle pair of longitudinal sills or timbers of a car platform; B B, other longitudinal sills or timbers; O O the end sills or cross timbers; and D D, the bolsters, of a common style of framing.

The precise arrangement of the timbers is unimportant, except that there should always be the inner pair of sills A A and suitable cross timbers, bolsters, &c.

Near each end of the car, and advisably between the end sill O and the proximate bolster, there is located a metallic box or casement E,preferably divided inavertical central plane into two like parts. Each section or half of the box E is formed with a rib a on its outer face, and the box is of a width to somewhat more than fill the space between the sills or timbersA A, which are slightly recessed to receive thebody of the box and further recessed to receive the ribs 0,. Through bolts b, passing through the sills and the interposed box, tie all together; and the bolts are relieved of much of the direct strain placed'upon the box, by reason of the bearing of the latter in the timbers A. This form of box or casement is already in use, and is known as the Butler casement; but so far as I am aware it has never been employed in the combination herein set forth.

FF indicate draw-heads of any suitable or approved form, of which there are two,- as usual, one at either end of the car. These drawheads are secured on opposite ends of a draw rod or bar G, which extends from one end of the carto the other, and is composed of two sections, which latter are furnished with right and left hand threads respectively. By turning the turn buckle, the rod may be lengthened or shortened as required. The same effect may be secured by a swivel connection of the turn buckle with one section of the draw bar, and a screw connection with the other, but the right and left thread connection is preferred. At the inner end of each draw head, and either integral therewith or separate therefrom as preferred, isa sleeve I, encircling the draw rod G, and made fast thereto. Each sleeve extends through an opening in the outer end of the box or casement E, and is furnished at its inner end, within said box orcasement, with a collar or flange c, as shown in Fig. 2.

The collar or flange serves both to prevent the withdrawal of the sleeve from the box, and as a bearing for one end of a heavy spiral spring J, which encircles the draw rod within the-box. The spring bears at its opposite end against the rear inner end of said box, and consequently affords an elastic takeup or cushion between the box and the draw-rod.

The draw rod G extends through the rear or inner end of the box or casement E, being preferably guided and sustained at that point by abushing 01, held between the two sections of the box, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When such bushing is used, the spring J, bearing against its flanged inner end, and being always under at least slight compression, will prevent the bushing from moving inward into the box, the flange or collar in turn precluding outward movement.

The construction thus described being duplicated at the two ends of the car, the turn buckle H, is turned to place both springs J under slight com pression,-sufficient to prevent the draw rods from moving without acting upon the springs,and the apparatus is then ready for use.

In coupling cars together the draw head receives the thrust or impact and transmits it to the sleeve immediately back of such draw head; but as the spring bears at its rear or inner end against the rear wall of the box or casement E, the jar or concussion is taken up by the spring. As the spring becomes compressed, and preferably just before the coils thereof come into actual contact with oneanother, the inner end of the draw head, or a collar d on the outer end of sleeve I just back of the draw head, comes into contact with the outer end of the box or casement E, and any further force or pressure will be transmitted to the timbers of the car through said box or casement.

Ordinarily, the power or resistance of the spring will be sufficient to transmit the impelling force to the car timbers before the collar makes contact with the box or casement; but in any event it will effectually take up theinitial jar or concussion, facilitating starting of the car, and obviate the injurious effects produced by inelastic or unyielding connections.

In drawing the car, power applied to the draw head at one end thereof, is transmitted through the draw-rod G to the draw head at the opposite end thereof, and the collar 0 of the sleeve I at said opposite end is drawn against its spring J, which takes up the impact in the same manner essentially as in buffing. Thus it will be seen that in buffing the spring next to the draw head to which the force is applied, serves to take up the thrust; while in drawing, the spring at the end of the car opposite to that at which the power is applied, takes up the impact and prevents concussion or jar. I

An important result due to my peculiar construction and arrangement of parts is that in starting a train, whether backing or drawing, the draw rods of all the cars are connected and move as one, from end to end of the train,0ne or the other spring of each car acting as a yielding connection between said draw rod and such car. So too, it will be seen that in pushing and in drawing the force is always applied so that the strain is carried through the whole length of the car instead of being borne by one end only, and there is no danger of pulling out the draw-head or detaching the cross timbers to which the draw head is usually attached or against which it draws. It will also be apparent that the use of the turn buckle as a connection in the middle of the continuous tail rods enables the springs and the rod to be kept at tension and loss motion in the couplers is avoided, thereby doing away with any sudden ordangerous shocks to buffers or tail rods.

I am aware that draw rods have been extended from one draw head to another of a car, and that springs have been arranged in connection therewith to relieve the car of shock or strain in drawing or buffing; but I am not aware that any one has ever before arranged such continuous rod to act upon only one spring at a time, and that one the spring at the rear end of the car; nor am I- aware of any prior construction in which springs combined witha continuous draw rod having attached draw heads, are contained with in boxes rigidly and immovably secured to the car sills or timbers.

The draw heads may, if deemed desirable,

be provided with lugs or shoulders e, to engage with metal straps or braces of the framing and prevent withdrawal of .the draw heads in the event of the draw rod breaking or becoming disconnected at the turn buckle. When the sleeve I is made integral with the draw head, however, the collar 0 will answer this purpose, and will do so in any event un less the draw rod breaks between said sleeve and the draw head.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is .1. In combination with the sills or timbers of a car, two boxes rigidly secured thereto, one near each end of the car; a draw rod extending from one box to the other and through both boxes; draw heads secured to said draw rod, one at each end, springs contained with in the boxes, one in each; and collars fast upon the draw rods, one Within each box, and arranged to bear upon the outer end of the spring in said box, all substantially as described and shown.

2. In combination with sills or timbersAA, boxes E E, rigidly secured to said timbers,'a spring J within each box, a draw rod G extending through the boxes E and made in two parts, a turn buckle H, connecting the parts of the draw rod, sleeves I, one secured upon each section of the draw rod and each provided within the box with a collar 0; and springs; one within each box, encircling the draw rod and bearing at their opposite ends whereby the force'for moving the car both for against the collars and the boxesrespectively. pushing and pulling is applied so that the 3. In combination with the floor sills or whole length instead of one end of the car timbers of a car, two boxes rigidly secured to bears the strain. i I 5 said timbers, one near each end of the car, In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand springs within the boxes, and atwo part draw in the presence of two witnesses. rod extending from end to end of the car and provided with draw heads at its ends, an in I DOLE WADLEY' termediate turnbuckleconnection, and collars Witnesses: m .to bear against the outer ends of the Springs, CHAS. P. JONES,

all substantially as shown and described; R0. T. MACDONALD. 

